Guard-gate for floor or sidewalk doors.



F. W.-LEONHARD.

GUARD GATE FOR FLOOR 0R SIDEWALK DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1. 1914.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

orricn.

FREDERICK W. LEONHARD, OIF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

GUARD-GATE FOR FLOOR R SIDEWALK DOORS.

Original application filed July 17, 1913,

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. LEON- HARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buflalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Guard-Gates for Floor or Sidewalk Doors, of whichthe following is a specification.

1 This invention relates to a trap door for sidewalks, floors or similar purposes and has the object to provide such doors with improved automatic guard gates to protect the opening or well and to permit said gates to swing out of the way to give access to the opening'when desired.

. This application is a division of an application on which Letters Patent were granted to myself November 3, 1914, #1,1l5,554.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 1s a longitudinal sectional elevation of a door embodying my improvements, the left.

half of the same in full lines being in a closed position and the right half in full lines in an open position. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the door well showing the door in its fully open position. Fig. 3

supporting beams or levers B, B for each leaf'connected at their front ends with the underside of the respective leaf at the side edges of the same, hinges C for pivotally connecting the central parts of said beams with the underside of the floor and a counter weight D connected with the rearend of each beam.

41 represents the floor or sidewalk over the vault which may be constructed in any suitable manner and which contains 'an opening or well.

As a whole the automatic gates embodying my invention are represented by the reference characters F, F and the same are constructed as follows: Each of these gates is composed of flat iron bars riveted in the Specification of LetterslPatent.

7 give a slight clearance therebetween.

Patented Mar. 14, 1913.

Serial No. 779,501. Divided and this application filed October 1, 1914. Serial No. 864,423.

shape of a Warren truss and is hinged at its heel to clip angles 23 on the load arm or forward arm of the supporting beams B so as to swing through the same vertical arc with the door and is also capable of swinging transversely relatively thereto. The top and bottom chords 30, 31 of the gates on one leaf are of such length that these gates swing within acircle whose radius is slightly less than the distance from the hinge pin of this leaf to the toe of the opposite leaf so as to This permits one leaf to be fully opened by disconnecting the chains 7 between the opposing gates without disturbing the other leaf. Italso permits the two door leaves to be closed at the same time without interference from the gates.

At the junction of the top chord 30 and the outer web member 32 of each gate the connection with the chains f is made by means of a tie bolt 320, as shown in Fig. 1, or in any other suitable manner. To this tie bolt the chain 7" is attached which thus gives a flexible connection between the com panion gates of the opposite leaves both when the door is closed or open or in any intermediate position. Each of these gates is held laterally by an iron brace preferably composed of two bar sections 33, 33 having their extremities hinged to thetop chord 30 and to the clip angles 23" which latter is riveted to the underside of the central bar 5 of'the respective door leaf. The

. opposing ends of the brace sections are connected by a flexible spring joint so that the gate may be folded flat on the leaf when the door is open after disconnecting chain f thus giving access to the well opening. This spring joint preferably comprises a pivot pin or rivet 34 connecting the opposing ends 'of the brace sections33, 33 and a spring finger 34* being an extension of the brace section 33 toward'the brace section 33 and provided with an abrupt stop 34 and a rivet head or wedge-shaped projection 34: adapted to engage with opposite sides of the brace section 33 while this brace is straightened.

" For folding this brace itsmembers are turned in a direction for moving the stop 34' away from the section 33 and carrying the wedge projection 34 underneath the same. The advantage of this is that in breaking the joint the upper bar passes over the lower bar and rivet head 34 which tends V be ready to spring that portion of the lowerfbar forming the finger, thus offering the. necessary resistance to keep the oint rigid for all axial forces but the jointpmaybe easily the gates F has been neglected the latter will fall by gravity into an unfolded position when the door is closed and thus to protect the well When the door is reopened. When the gates are'clo'sed the two bars forming each brace are slightly longer than a dead center line "drawn between the two hinges at opposite ends of the brace, thus allowing the flexible joint to assume aposition slightly beyond or slightly eccentric relatively to this line; Thisecc'entricity brings the spring j'oint "members above mentioned into play and" any force which tends to open the. gates inward tends a to increase this eccentrlcity, thus holding l "the joint rigid;

. clip angles tom cords By ,extendingthe horizontal leg of the 23 which attach the top and bot-' 80, 31 of the gates to the forward or "load arms, so'that their hingesare beyond the vertical leg ofgthe forwarder load arm angle, the gates'F may-be swung out- L ward over the sidewalk as well as inward over the well when the door is open, by simply detaching either end of the gate braces.

If desired, only one door leaf and associated parts need be employed in the case ofa well of comparatively small area.

Locking means are provided for holdingthe door leaves n both closed and open positions, these means preferably comprising the two pairs of locking dogs H, H .f The logs H lock the door in the open position and the second H lock the same in its closed position. The members of i the first set of locking dogs are situated on the outside of the counterbalanced beam and are fastened to the underside of 'the walk or floor and automatically engage a lug 7 angle 72. riveted on the outside of the connecti'on piece 20 and can be released from dopies of this patent may be obtained for gate bemg sections and t, "a rope 1. The mailba n of the second set of lockingdogs are situated on the inside oit'the counterbalanced beam and are also fastened to the underside of thewalk or floor so as to engage the upper flange of the weight arm, as shown ,in

Fig. 1. The last mentioned dogs may also bereleased by a rope conveniently'aplaced similar to that used in connection with the dogs H or by any other suitable means. I claim as my invention: 7 1. The combination of a vertically swinging door, and a'guard gate pivotally mounted o'n the underside of said door, the axis of the gatebeing at right angles to the axis the door. r r

2.. The combination'of a vertically ing door adapted to be arranged horizonta-lly' when closed, and vertically when open,

and a'gate'pivoted on the underside ofsaid door-and at right angles to the axis of the door, and said gate being adapted to drop T said door upon closing the latter. I g:

8. The combination'oit' a vert c automatically in a pendant position from the u-nderside of said door, the axis of the at right angles 'to the axis of the door, and

ally swi g- 1;, ingdoor, a guard gate plvotallymounted on 9.

abrace for holding sa'id' gate at right angles relative to saiddoor.

l. The combination of a vertically swing" ing door,'a guard gate pivotally connected with the underside of said door, and a brace for holding said gate in its operative positwo bar sections having their extremities pivoted to said door and gate while their opposing ends are pivotally connected, and a spring finger arranged on one of said-bar wedge projection adapted to engage. with op the straightened position of said bar sections- I 5. The

having their axes parallel, gates pivoted i at their rear ends to said door and'atright jtion relatively to said door and comprising provided with a stop and .a

posite edgesiof theaotherba'r section' 'in I combination I of" two vertically 1 swinging doors arranged sideby side and angles to the axes of thelatter, and a chain connecting the WVitness my temb er, 1914:. v v

R RICK W. LEONHARI);

Witnesses: r V o 'E. GRAHAM, ANNA HEIGIS.

front endsof said gates. hand this 29th. day of: Sepfive cents eacli, by addressing the Commissioner a; intents, Washington, D. G. 

